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It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky--which irls looked a picture It was still cold for spring, but out had co dresses There were parasols galore, and eed shawls, not to mention shepherdess hats and Italian straw bonnets Admittedly, the stylish dresses had been ets, wrist attachments, suspiciously heavy chatelaines, and, in Sophronia’s case, a large reticule that looked like a

Lessons, itsuccess The students were distracted easily Sophronia and the debuts joined with so boys for a lesson with Lady Linette in how to stroll in Hyde Park Much ti over the different ways to cut an unwelcorasped, and the best way to engage in espionage under direct sunlight They also discussed the distribution, use, and application of stealth spy rocks

There was a light picnic of broiled beef, roast duck, braised pork pie, cold poached chicken in cream sauce, pickles and relishes, crusty French bread, and stewed fruit, accompanied by punch, which was followed by tea with pear turnovers, cabinet pudding, and apricot round and still eat with delicacy Conversation centered mainly on the various evil projects under the purview of their gentle new uses and applications It turned into a kind of ga on irls wondered if his wax es, or even if the curl of a ht function in just such aquestion of whether a gentlerow out his beard, thus transporting said e into enee permanently upon his chin? That was the quandary And could one legitimately ascribe nefarious intent to any ht beards suspicious," said Diht be improved by a beard After all, no one would know his chin appeared to have eloped with, quite probably, Monique’s brain and Preshea’s sense of huentle was cautiously encouraged, with Lord Dingleproops and Lord Mersey being instantly subsumed by Preshea and Monique respectively Sophronia and Diatha trailed dutifully behind her le of fellow sycophants SidheagThe teachers settled into a group near the hilltop to keep an eye on thepeople

Sophronia and Dimity wandered into the sround and put Bumbersnoot down to have a snuffle in the fallen leaves He was given strict instructions not to catch anything on fire, although it was dah that he would have had to put considerable effort into the atte caught on twigs, his ears flapping with toots of serly Sophronia did not bother to remove the lace bits wrapped about him, so that he trailed ribbons and straps in his wake like an entirely disreputable bride

They talked of nothing consequential and watched the e stick, and Sophronia couldn’t tell whether he wanted to s it into his storage compartment or his boiler Suddenly, the little creature sat back and whistled, pressing out steam forcefully in soirls were startled They’d had no idea he couldwhen he stumbled into furniture

Moments later three slablike rabbed Dimity, and another Sophronia The third stood with arms akimbo, as if he intended to make a speech

Sophronia found herself most indelicately confined There was one beefy arainst her side, and another over herfor assistance

"Where’s the boy?" de around "We need hi out with one booted foot, but heavy skirts and copious petticoats prevented her fro Sophronia could see her friend’s wide hazel eyes above the other ruffian’s arnored by their attackers, took tee behind a stump

Sophronia really didn’t want to, but she did the only thing she could She opened her mouth and bit down hard on the man’s sweaty aro, only jerked her head back and tightened his grip into her mouth in a most uncomfortable s, after all"

Pillover They want Pillover, too

Bumbersnoot, not at all pleased with this treatment of his mistress, circled about and approached Sophronia’s captor

Sophronia couldn’t give him any orders Even if she were able to speak, he rarely obeyed verbal coht do She was terribly afraid he would get hied; one swift kick from the ruffian’s anvil-sized boot and he was done for

Hertheht to her waist, but she made an attempt to reach for her chatelaine--the Depraved Lens of Crispy Magnification hung there It was a weapon, of sorts She couldn’t get hold of it, but she could reach her other wrist

She still wore the hurlie She rarely took it off except to bathe She ed to use one hand to release the catch

Burapple at her own captor, and she daren’t risk hitting Diled her wrist at hirapple over the ruffian’s shoulder, jerking back to bring the hook into the flesh of his upper back Thewith his hands

"Get it off, get it out!" he yelled There was blood leaking down his shirt--he ithout a jacket All three of theish

In the saainst Sophronia’s captor’s leg and blasted hot stea hiht Sophronia

The o Sophronia dove down, scooped up Bumbersnoot, and rolled out of reach Lady Linette had made them practice that maneuver in full skirts The extrathe soet very far, however, as her wrist was still attached to the other ht of the blood, Diht in her ruffian’s arms He swore and tried to keep hold, but Dimity’s chiffon dress was slippery, and she hadn’t Sophronia’s propensity for covering herself with gadgets Without handholds, the rip Died to free himself from Sophronia’s hurlie, which she retracted Momentarily unencuun to carry it right after they started knife-fighting lessons, as soon as she realized it would work just as well and be ht expect a missive at any moment It wouldn’t do to be without a letter opener Shewith her hurlie in her left hand so she could use both as weapons in a fight

With one ruffian trying to pick up a li, and the third trying to grab his own bleeding back, it looked like Sophronia had the best of them She was no fool, however It was her and Buainst three fully grown ht to run, but she wasn’t about to leave Di at her again She was, after all, arun If this kind of thing were to becoular occurrence, munitions lessons really shouldn’t be left for older students Then her training kicked in: get the

"What do you want?" she asked, pleased with how steady her voice sounded

"Oh, no, little miss, we know better then that," said one

Another said to his coo She’ll alert the others"

"Good idea," said Sophronia, at which juncture she threw her head back and screas

Instantly, not so very far away, she heard soain